Abstract
This chapter reviews research on the intersection of fatherhood and health, beginning even before conception with the impact of health on fertility. Findings related to fatherhood as a transition toward healthful behaviors are reviewed, as well as research on specific groups of men. Finally, we discuss relevant challenges and opportunities in the literature on fatherhood and health.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Abs, R., Verhelst, J., Maeyaert, J., Van Buyten, J.-P., Opsomer, F., Adriaensen, H., Verlooy, J., Van Havenbergh, T., Smet, M., & Van Acker, K. (2000). Endocrine consequences of long-term intrathecal administration of opioids. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 85(6), 2215–2222. https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem.85.6.6615
Anderson, J. L., May, H. T., Lappé, D. L., Bair, T., Le, V., Carlquist, J. F., & Muhlestein, J. B. (2016). Impact of testosterone replacement therapy on myocardial infarction, stroke, and death in men with low testosterone concentrations in an integrated health care system. The American Journal of Cardiology, 117(5), 794–799. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2015.11.063
Barclay, K., & Kolk, M. (2020). The influence of health in early adulthood on male fertility. Population and Development Review, 46, 757–785. https://doi.org/10.1111/padr.12357
Bartlett, E. E. (2004). The effects of fatherhood on the health of men: A review of the literature. Journal of Men’s Health and Gender, 1(2–3), 159–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmhg.2004.06.004
Bliesener, N., Albrecht, S., Schwager, A., Weckbecker, K., Lichtermann, D., & Klingmüller, D. (2005). Plasma testosterone and sexual function in men receiving buprenorphine maintenance for opioid dependence. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 90, 203–206. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2004-0929
Bottorff, J. L., Oliffe, J., Kalaw, C., Carey, J., & Mroz, L. (2006). Men’s constructions of smoking in the context of women’s tobacco reduction during pregnancy and postpartum. Social Science & Medicine, 62(12), 3096–3108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.11.058
Bottorff, J. L., Radsma, J., Kelly, M., & Oliffe, J. L. (2009). Fathers’ narratives of reducing and quitting smoking. Sociology of Health & Illness, 31(2), 185–200. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9566.2008.01126.x
Bottorff, J. L., Sarbit, G., Oliffe, J. L., Caperchione, C. M., Wilson, D., & Huisken, A. (2019). Strategies for supporting smoking cessation among indigenous fathers: A qualitative participatory study. American Journal of Men’s Health, 13(1), 1557988318806438. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988318806438
Boykin, A., Jones, K., & Miller, E. (2021). Evaluating the relationship between adolescent fatherhood and routine health care in a nationally representative sample: A descriptive, cross-sectional study. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 35(2), 163–171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2020.09.003
Bracken, M. B., Eskenazi, B., Sachse, K., McSharry, J.-E., Hellenbrand, K., & Leo-Summers, L. (1990). Association of cocaine use with sperm concentration, motility, and morphology. Fertility and Sterility, 53(2), 315–322. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0015-0282(16)53288-9
Brezina, P. R., Yunus, F. N., & Zhao, Y. (2012). Effects of pharmaceutical medications on male fertility. Journal of Reproduction & Infertility, 13, 3–11.
Burke, E. E., & Bribiescas, R. G. (2018). A comparison of testosterone and cortisol levels between gay fathers and non-fathers: A preliminary investigation. Physiology & Behavior, 193, 69–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.03.011
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, February 3). Men and heart disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/men.htm
Chambers, T. J. G., & Anderson, R. A. (2015). The impact of obesity on male fertility. Hormones, 14, 563–568. https://doi.org/10.14310/horm.2002.1621
Chrysant, S. G., & Chrysant, G. S. (2018). Cardiovascular benefits and risks of testosterone replacement therapy in older men with low testosterone. Hospital Practice, 46(2), 47–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/21548331.2018.1445405
Cummings, J. R., Gearhardt, A. N., Ray, L. A., Choi, A. K., & Tomiyama, A. J. (2020). Experimental and observational studies on alcohol use and dietary intake: A systematic review. Obesity Reviews, 21, e12950. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12950
Damber, J.-E., Abramsson, L., & Duchek, M. (1989). Tamoxifen treatment of idiopathic oligozoospermia: Effect on hCG-induced testicular steroidogenesis and semen variables. Scandinavian Journal of Urology and Nephrology, 23(4), 241–246. https://doi.org/10.3109/00365598909180331
Daniell, H. W. (2002). Hypogonadism in men consuming sustained-action oral opioids. The Journal of Pain, 3(5), 377–384. https://doi.org/10.1054/jpai.2002.126790
Develin, E. D., & Currie, J. L. (2000). The Strollers Pramwalking Program: A community intervention aimed at increasing the physical activity level of mothers with young children. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 10(1), 57–59.
Ding, G.-L., Liu, Y., Liu, M.-E., Pan, J.-X., Guo, M.-X., Sheng, J.-Z., & Huang, H.-F. (2015). The effects of diabetes on male fertility and epigenetic regulation during spermatogenesis. Asian Journal of Andrology, 17, 948–953. https://doi.org/10.4103/1008-682X.150844
Eiden, R. D., Colder, C., Edwards, E. P., & Leonard, K. E. (2009). A longitudinal study of social competence among children of alcoholic and nonalcoholic parents: Role of parental psychopathology, parental warmth, and self-regulation. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 23(1), 36. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014839
Eisenberg, M. L., Park, Y., Hollenbeck, A. R., Lipshultz, L. I., Schatzkin, A., & Pletcher, M. J. (2011). Fatherhood and the risk of cardiovascular mortality in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Human Reproduction, 26(12), 3479–3485. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/der305
Fletcher, R., & StGeorge, J. (2011). Heading into fatherhood—Nervously: Support for fathering from online dads. Qualitative Health Research, 21(8), 1101–1114. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732311404903
Foran, H. M., & O’Leary, K. D. (2008). Alcohol and intimate partner violence: A meta-analytic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 28(7), 1222–1234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2008.05.001
Garfield, C. F., Clark-Kauffman, E., & Davis, M. M. (2006). Fatherhood as a component of men’s health. Journal of the American Medical Association, 296(19), 2365–2368. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.296.19.2365
Garfield, C. F., Isacco, A., & Bartlo, W. D. (2010). Men’s health and fatherhood in the urban Midwestern United States. International Journal of Men’s Health, 9, 161–174. https://doi.org/10.3149/jmh.0903.161
Garfield, C. F., Duncan, G., Gutina, A., Rutsohn, J., McDade, T. W., Adam, E. K., Coley, R. L., & Chase-Lansdale, P. L. (2016). Longitudinal study of body mass index in young males and the transition to fatherhood. American Journal of Men’s Health, 10(6), NP158–NP167. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988315596224
Gettler, L. T., McDade, T. W., Feranil, A. B., & Kuzawa, C. W. (2011). Longitudinal evidence that fatherhood decreases testosterone in human males. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(39), 16194–16199. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1105403108
Gill, G. V. (1998). Anabolic steroid induced hypogonadism treated with human chorionic gonadotropin. Postgraduate Medical Journal, 74(867), 45–46. https://doi.org/10.1136/pgmj.74.867.45
Greaves, L., Oliffe, J. L., Ponic, P., Kelly, M. T., & Bottorff, J. L. (2010). Unclean fathers, responsible men: Smoking, stigma and fatherhood. Health Sociology Review, 19(4), 522–533. https://doi.org/10.5172/hesr.2010.19.4.522
Grebe, N. M., Sarafin, R. E., Strenth, C. R., & Zilioli, S. (2019). Pair-bonding, fatherhood, and the role of testosterone: A meta-analytic review. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 98, 221–233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.01.010
Hales, C. M., Carroll, M. D., Fryar, C. D., & Ogden, C. L. (2020). Prevalence of obesity and severe obesity among adults: United States, 2017–2018 (NCHS Data Brief No. 360). National Center for Health Statistics.
Hegner, R. E., & Wingfield, J. C. (1987). Effects of experimental manipulation of testosterone levels on parental investment and breeding success in male house sparrows. The Auk, 104(3), 462–469. https://doi.org/10.2307/4087545
Hirschenhauser, K., & Oliveira, R. F. (2006). Social modulation of androgens in male vertebrates: Meta-analyses of the challenge hypothesis. Animal Behaviour, 71, 265–277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2005.04.014
Hosegood, V., Richter, L., & Clarke, L. (2016). “... I should maintain a healthy life now and not just live as I please...” Men’s health and fatherhood in rural South Africa. American Journal of Men’s Health, 10(6), NP39–NP50. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988315586440
Kolodny, R. C., Masters, W. H., Kolodner, R. M., & Toro, G. (1974). Depression of plasma testosterone levels after chronic intensive marihuana use. New England Journal of Medicine, 290(16), 872–874. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM197404182901602
Kotelchuck, M., & Lu, M. (2017). Father’s role in preconception health. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 21, 2025–2039. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-017-2370-4
Kwon, J.-Y., Oliffe, J. L., Bottorff, J. L., & Kelly, M. T. (2015). Masculinity and fatherhood: New fathers’ perceptions of their female partners’ efforts to assist them to reduce or quit smoking. American Journal of Men’s Health, 9(4), 332–339. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988314545627
Landers, M. D., Mitchell, O., & Coates, E. E. (2015). Teenage fatherhood as a potential turning point in the lives of delinquent youth. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24(6), 1685–1696. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-9971-y
Li, Y., Lin, H., Li, Y., & Cao, J. (2011). Association between socio-psycho-behavioral factors and male semen quality: Systematic review and meta-analyses. Fertility and Sterility, 95, 116–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2010.06.031
Mao, A., Bottorff, J. L., Oliffe, J. L., Sarbit, G., & Kelly, M. T. (2015). A qualitative study of Chinese Canadian fathers’ smoking behaviors: Intersecting cultures and masculinities. BMC Public Health, 15, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-015-1646-0
Mazur, A. (2014). Testosterone of young husbands rises with children in the home. Andrology, 2(1), 125–129. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2047-2927.2013.00164.x
Mehrpour, O., Karrari, P., Zamani, N., Tsatsakis, A. M., & Abdollahi, M. (2014). Occupational exposure to pesticides and consequences on male semen and fertility: A review. Toxicology Letters, 230(2), 146–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxlet.2014.01.029
Menon, D. K. (2003). Successful treatment of anabolic steroid–induced azoospermia with human chorionic gonadotropin and human menopausal gonadotropin. Fertility and Sterility, 79, 1659–1661. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0015-0282(03)00365-0
Mogro-Wilson, C., & Cifuentes, A., Jr. (2020). Role of fatherhood identity and machismo in Latino men with problem drinking. Families in Society, 101(4), 514–527. https://doi.org/10.1177/1044389420921061
Morres, I. D., Hatzigeorgiadis, A., Stathi, A., Comoutos, N., Arpin-Cribbie, C., Krommidas, C., & Theodorakis, Y. (2019). Aerobic exercise for adult patients with major depressive disorder in mental health services: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Depression and Anxiety, 36(1), 39–53. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22842
Nadeem, F., Fahim, A., & Bugti, S. (2012). Effects of cigarette smoking on male fertility. Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences, 42(Sup. 2), 1400–1405.
Namy, S., Heilman, B., Stich, S., Crownover, J., Leka, B., & Edmeades, J. (2015). Changing what it means to ‘become a man’: Participants’ reflections on a school-based programme to redefine masculinity in the Balkans. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 17, 206–222.
Neault, N., Mullany, B., Powers, J., Coho-Mescal, V., Parker, S., Walkup, J., Barlow, A., & Cradling our Future, & Focus on Fathers Study Teams. (2012). Fatherhood roles and drug use among young American Indian men. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 38(5), 395–402. https://doi.org/10.3109/00952990.2012.703735
Niccols, A., Milligan, K., Sword, W., Thabane, L., Henderson, J., & Smith, A. (2012). Integrated programs for mothers with substance abuse issues: A systematic review of studies reporting on parenting outcomes. Harm Reduction Journal, 9(1), 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7517-9-14
Norman, E., Sherburn, M., Osborne, R. H., & Galea, M. P. (2010). An exercise and education program improves well-being of new mothers: A randomized controlled trial. Physical Therapy, 90(3), 348–355. https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20090139
Nunes, S., Fite, J. E., Patera, K. J., & French, J. A. (2001). Interactions among paternal behavior, steroid hormones, and parental experience in male marmosets (Callithrix kuhlii). Hormones and Behavior, 39(1), 70–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2005.04.014
Palmer, N. O., Bakos, H. W., Fullston, T., & Lane, M. (2012). Impact of obesity on male fertility, sperm function and molecular composition. Spermatogenesis, 2, 253–263. https://doi.org/10.4161/spmg.21362
Parent, M. C., Bradstreet, T. C., Harmon, K. A., McAndrew, J., Comisky, A., & Cook, A. C. R. (2018). The psychology of men & masculinities: Using citation network analysis to understand research domains, collaborations, and grant competitiveness. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 19(4), 512–530.
Pot, N., & Keizer, R. (2016). Physical activity and sport participation: A systematic review of the impact of fatherhood. Preventive Medicine Reports, 4, 121–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2016.05.018
Rovio, S. P., Yang, X., Kankaanpää, A., Aalto, V., Hirvensalo, M., Telama, R., Pahkala, K., Hutri-Kähönen, N., Viikari, J. S. A., & Raitakari, O. T. (2018). Longitudinal physical activity trajectories from childhood to adulthood and their determinants: The Young Finns Study. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 28, 1073–1083. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12988
Rubenstein, B., & Stover, C. S. (2016). Intimate partner violence, fatherhood, and co-parenting of men in residential substance misuse treatment. Advances In Dual Diagnosis, 119–129. https://doi.org/10.1108/ADD-10-2015-0022
Sansone, A., Di Dato, C., de Angelis, C., Menafra, D., Pozza, C., Pivonello, R., Isidori, A., & Gianfrilli, D. (2018). Smoke, alcohol and drug addiction and male fertility. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, 16, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12958-018-0320-7
Shawe, J., Patel, D., Joy, M., Howden, B., Barrett, G., & Stephenson, J. (2019). Preparation for fatherhood: A survey of men’s preconception health knowledge and behaviour in England. PLoS One, 14(3), e0213897. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0213897
Sheiner, E. K., Sheiner, E., Hammel, R. D., Potashnik, G., & Carel, R. (2003). Effect of occupational exposures on male fertility: Literature review. Industrial Health, 41, 55–62. https://doi.org/10.2486/indhealth.41.55
Sipsma, H., Biello, K. B., Cole-Lewis, H., & Kershaw, T. (2010). Like father, like son: The intergenerational cycle of adolescent fatherhood. American Journal of Public Health, 100(3), 517–524. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2009.177600
Smith Stover, C., McMahon, T. J., & Easton, C. (2011). The impact of fatherhood on treatment response for men with co-occurring alcohol dependence and intimate partner violence. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 37(1), 74–78. https://doi.org/10.3109/00952990.2010.535585
Stouthamer-Loeber, M., & Wei, E. H. (1998). The precursors of young fatherhood and its effect on delinquency of teenage males. Journal of Adolescent Health, 22(1), 56–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1054-139X(97)00211-5
Stover, C. S., Easton, C. J., & McMahon, T. J. (2013). Parenting of men with co-occurring intimate partner violence and substance abuse. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 28(11), 2290–2314.
Stover, C. S., Carlson, M., Patel, S., & Manalich, R. (2018). Where’s dad? The importance of integrating fatherhood and parenting programming into substance use treatment for men. Child Abuse Review, 27(4), 280–300. https://doi.org/10.1002/car.2528
Torche, F., & Rauf, T. (2021). The transition to fatherhood and the health of men. Journal of Marriage and Family, 83(2), 446–465. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12732
Venners, S. A., Wang, X., Chen, C., Wang, B., Ni, J., Jin, Y., Yang, J., Fang, Z., Weiss, S. T., & Xu, X. (2001). Exposure–response relationship between paternal smoking and children’s pulmonary function. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 164(6), 973–976. https://doi.org/10.1164/ajrccm.164.6.2009063
Williams, I. L. (2014). Desilencing fatherhood: Making the invisible visible within substance use disorder treatment. Journal of Groups in Addiction & Recovery, 9(2), 160–185. https://doi.org/10.1080/1556035X.2014.906784
Williams, R., Hewison, A., Stewart, M., Liles, C., & Wildman, S. (2012). ‘We are doing our best’: African and African-Caribbean fatherhood, health and preventive primary care services, in England. Health & Social Care in the Community, 20(2), 216–223. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2524.2011.01037.x
Wilson, M., Gwyther, K., Swann, R., Casey, K., Featherston, R., Oliffe, J. L., Englar-Carlson, M., & Rice, S. M. (2021). Operationalizing positive masculinity: A theoretical synthesis and school-based framework to engage boys and young men. Health Promotion International. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daab031
Wingfield, J. C., Hegner, R. E., Dufty, A. M., Jr., & Ball, G. F. (1990). The “challenge hypothesis”: Theoretical implications for patterns of testosterone secretion, mating systems, and breeding strategies. The American Naturalist, 136(6), 829–846. https://doi.org/10.1086/285134
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Parent, M.C., Woznicki, N.W. (2022). Physical Health and Fatherhood. In: Molloy, S., Azzam, P., Isacco, A. (eds) Handbook of the Psychology of Fatherhood. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14498-1_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14498-1_12
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-14497-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-14498-1
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)